Protected stencil aperture card



14, 1969 D. 1.. HOCHBERG 3,

P ROTECTED STENCIL APERTURE CARD Filed Jan. 18, 1966 Fly. 7

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INVENTOR. DAVID LOUIS HOCH BERG M a. yz

A TIOKNEY United States Patent 3,421,241 PROTECTED STENCIL APERTURE CARDDavid Louis Hochberg, New York, N.Y., asignor to Pitney-Bowes, Inc.,0rd, Comm, a corporation of Delaware I Pi] 1966, Ser. No. 521,270

ed Jan. 18,

Claims lnt. Cl. G09f 1/10, 19/12; B421! /00 US. Cl. 40-158 ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE stencil aperture card. It aperture card of the type andwhich has a reflectwith protection for the This invention relates to amore particularly relates to an processed in business machines ingstencil in the aperture area stencil area.

Business machines. such as data processing equipment, make use oftabulating cards of a standard type which may have visible informationand coded information, the

coded information, as well known in the art, may be in the form ofpunched, or magnetic or optically recogniz-- able intelligence. Suchcards may be processed in collating or sorting machines according to thecoded intelligence on the cards.

Other types of business machines are used for addressing or imprinting,such as addressing envelopes, bills, invoices. checks and the like. Suchmachines make use of metal addressing plates which print by impact orthey may use inking stencils, neither of which are capable of beingprocessed or handled in data processing equipment, i.e., sorters,collators, tabulators and the like. In addition, metal addressing platesare relatively heavy and occupy a large amount of space due to theirthickness. Moreover, the addresses must be made on the plate withspecial embossing equipment which is heavy and not readily available tothe user of the plates. Such plates are also relatively expensive tomanufacture.

Ink stencils, although being lighter in weight, require use of liquidink and the. stencil retains a considerable part of the ink after usefor imprinting. Thus use of these stencils involves much care and isquite messy.

An ideal business card for business machine use would be one having thelightweight and versatility of the common single ply statistical ortabulating card and a printing element not requiring embossing or inkingwhich could be prepared in the typewriter both with visual indicia andstencil imprinting information.

It is disclosed in the copending, commonly assigned application Ser. No.S2l,322, filed Jan. 8, 1966 of Gilbert Zweig, entitled Stencil ApertureCard that such a business card may be produced by forming an aperture ofrectangular or other desired shape in a tabulating card and coveringsaid aperture with sheet material consisting of a transparent plastic,for example Mylar (du Pont polyethylene terephthalate) coated with athin reflective layer, such as a metal layer, which is reflective toradiations of the type which are produced by an incandescent filament.The reflective sheet material is secured at the edges of the aperture byany suitable adhesive means. Such a card may be inserted in a typewriterwith an ordi- 3,421,241 Patented Jan. 14, 1969 "ice nary sheet of paperbehind it, where visual data can be entered on the card as desired.

The stencil aperture is prepared by typing on the sheet material in theaperture with the metallic layer in contact with the sheet of paper. Themetallic'layer is transferred off by the impact of the type keys,leaving a transparent area corresponding to the type letter. Thus, anaddress or any other informational image may be typed on the sheetmaterial in the aperture area leaving the background of reflectingmaterial and an image which is transparent. I have now found that such astercil aperture card may be made in such a way that the lightreflecting material is protected from accidental removal in undesiredareas which would mar the stencil by superimposing a layer of materialwhich is transparent to the imaging radiation over the layer ofreflecting material and in contact with the reflecting layer.

My stencil aperture card may be used for imaging by thermographicmethods using a filament and a thermal transfer carbon sheet asdisclosed in commonly assigned copending application Ser. No. 503,218filed Oct. 23, 1965 entitled Thermographic Copying Process, of GilbertZweig.

It is therefore an object of this invention to prepare an aperture cardhaving the form of a regular tabulating card and a reflecting stencilmaterial in the aperture wherein the stencil material is protected.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a protectedstencilaperture card which may be used for addressing by thermography,requiring no ink orimpact printing techniques.

It is another .object to provide a protected addressing stencil whichmay be processed in data processing machines.

Another object is to provide a composite stencil aperture card fromwhich a stencil can be formed in a typewriter without the use ofadditional receptor sheets.

These and other objects of my invention will become apparent as thedescription thereof proceeds.

The invention may to the drawings, in which 'FIG. 1 shows a plan view ofthe stencil aperture card;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional' side view of a fragment of theaperture card through the aperture and stencil sheet, showing the coatedstencil material;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the same as FIG. 2 withthe coated stencil material reversed in the aperture;

FIG. 4 shows the stencil of FIG. 1 after type impact and removing ofreceptor paper showing the transparent image areas created in thestencil material;

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged cross sectional view of the stencil aperturecard with protective layer on the'stencil',

FIGS. 6 and 7 show an alternate form of the invention;

FIGS. 8 and 9 show another embodiment of the form of the invention shownin FIG. 5; and

FIG. 10 shows still another embodiment of the form of the inventionshown in FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 1. which illustrates one preferred embodiment of theinvention, the reference character 10 designates a standard businesscard known as a data card, statistical card, tabulating card orotherwise. It will be understood that the vertical dimension of allcross-sectional figures is exaggerated in order to more clearly show alldetails.

Card 10 may be indexed in any of numerous ways known in the art and maybe punched, as well known by perforation with coded information which isanalyzed in data processing machines by electrical or optical sensingmeans. Moreover, the card may contain instead or in addition informationreadable and/or coded in magnetic be better understood by referencecharacters which can be read by a magnetic character reading dataprocessing machine. Card 10 may also have ordinary typed or printedvisual information for visual identification.

An aperture 14 of any suitable size or configuration is cut in card 10and has a shoulder 15 surrounding the entire aperture. Shoulder 15 maybe formed simply by embossing with a suitable die and the aperture couldbe cut and the shoulder embossed by machine in one operation.

A stencil sheet material 16 is fitted in aperture 14 and secured toshoulder 15 by any suitable means such as a layer of adhesive onshoulder 15 (See FIG. 2). The stencil sheet material 20 consists of acommercially available vacuum deposited metallic foil on plastic sheet.As is well known, the plastic sheet 18 is first given a release coating.Then a thin film of the metal is vacuum deposited over the releasecoating. Finally a sizing coating is formed on the metallic coating toform the composite coating 20 on the plastic sheet 18. Such films arecommercially available and well known in the art. The metals are, forexample, gold, silver, aluminum, bronze and the like.

A suitable gold foil is manufactured by Hastings and Co., Philadelphia,-Pa., and sold as Goldmark. The greeting card hot transfer leafingfoils, in various metals such as gold, silver and aluminum, manufacturedby M. Swift and Sons, Inc., Hartford, Conn., are also suitable.

In FIG. 2, the stencil sheet material 16 is shown with the coating sideaway from shoulder 15. In FIG. 3, it is shown that sheet 16 could bemounted with the coated side adjacent to shoulder 15.

The standard single ply tabulating card has a thickness of about 0.007inch. It is preferred that the stencil sheet 16 in aperture 14 be flushwith or lower than the surface of card 10. The Mylar used here isgenerally about 0.001 inch thickness. The coating comprises in all notmore than about 0.001 inch. The shoulder 15 should be compressed to sucha depth that the stencil sheet 16 when mounted will be flush with orlower than the surface of card 10 taking into account the adhesivelayer.

In FIG. 4, card 10 is seen in end cross section after typing with areceptor sheet in contact with the coated side of stencil sheet material16. Impact of character keys in the typewritter against sheet 16 hastransferred off a portion of the coating equivalent to the character.Transfer of the coating takes place at the interface of 'plastic layer18 and theestrike releaselay'eriofthecoating 20, adhering the releasedportion 'tothe'r'eceptOr-"Sheet and leaving a transparent-stencil area21when receptorpaper has been removed (as shown in'FIG. 4), with theback ground areas 22 being reflective to radiations. As shown in FIG. 1,a complete typed transparent stencil image 23 has been formed withreflecting background 24.

My improved stencil aperture card basically provides a stencil which isprotected from accidental removal of the light reflecting layer by alayer of a transparent plastic material, such as Mylar. As seen in FIG.protection of the stencil can be obtained by the plastic sheet 25.

A protected stencil aperture card may be obtained in other ways forexample by the use of a pressure spreadable laminate material in theaperture area as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Such a laminate material isdisclosed in my copending application Ser. No. 503,339, filed Oct. 23,1965, entitled Stencil Laminate Material. This stencil laminate consistsoftwo sheets of material 18 and 26 transparent to the imaging radiationhaving a pressure spreadable layer 27 between. The pressure spreadablelayer 27 comprises a waxy material mixed with a pigment which reflectsor scatters the imaging radiation. Such waxes, as carnauba, spermaceti,stearic acid, paraflin, acrawax, and the like are used in combinationwith such pigments as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, aluminum powder andthe like. Softening agents may be incorporated 4 .such as petrolatum andoils, e.g. mineral oil, silicon oils and the like.

The pressure spreadable laminate is installed in the aperture onshoulder 15 in the same manner shown in FIG. 5. When the laminate isstruck with a type key 28, as in FIG. 6, the reflective layer is spreadand displaced in the struck'area, leaving an area 29, see FIG. 7, whichhas little or no reflective pigment. Area 29 of the stencil is thereforetransparent to the imaging radiation whereas the area 30 still reflectsthe radiation. Thus a stencil has been formed which is transparent inthe struck or image area and reflective in the background areas. Thereflective layer is protected since there is a layer of plastic on bothsides and nothing can scratch or abrade the reflective layer.

In FIGS. 8 and 9, an aperture card is shown having a composite assemblyin the aperture for forming a stencil which is basically similar to thecard of FIGS. 2 and 3. Aperture card 10 has a plastic sheet 18 coatedwith reflective coating 20 in aperture 14 against shoulder 15 in face Aof card 10 and secured by any suitable adhesive 31. A receptor paper 32is in contact with the reflective layer 20 in the aperture area. Asecond layer of plastic 33 is secured against a shoulder 34 on theopposite face B and card 10 and secured by a pressure sensitive adhesive35. A stencil is produced by typing on the plastic in a typewriter. Asshown in FIG. 9, the areas 36 of the reflective coating 20 struck bytype keys is transferred off onto the receptor paper 32. A transparentarea representative of the type character is formed at 36. Plastic sheet33 is lifted at one edge and receptor sheet 32 is removed, after whichplastic sheet 33 is returned to position on the shoulder 34 and held bypressure sensitive adhesive 35. Plastic sheet 33 may be notched at itsedge in any suitable manner to facilitate lifting. Thus a protectedstencil is formed which is transparent to imaging radiation in areas 36and reflective in the non-struck areas 37.

FIG. 10 shows a different embodiment of the assembly in FIGS. 8 and 9.Aperture card 10 has a single shoulder 15 with adhesive 31 to which issecured Mylar sheet 18 having reflective coating 20. A receptor sheet 32coated with a release coating 38, for example a silicone, is laid on topof reflective layer 20. Receptor sheet 32 is slightly smaller in areasthan plastic sheet 18. A plastic sheet 39 with a pressure sensitivelayer 40 is aflixed to the top of receptor sheet 32 and to the area ofthe reflective layer 20 which is not covered by the receptor sheet. Tolforrngastencil, the stencil area is typed on in a typewriter, anexplained above for the stencil of FIGS. 8 and 9. The receptor paper 32is removed by lifting plastic sheet 39 at either side and stripping ofthe receptor paper from the plastic. Separation is readily achievedbetween the silicone release coat and presure sensitive layer. After thereceptor paper is removed, plastic layer 39 is affixed to reflectivelayer 20 by pressure sensitive adhesive 40 to form the stencil similarto FIGS. 8 and 9.

It will be recognized that any suitable sheet material may be used inplace of Mylar, for example polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylidenechloride, cellulose acetate and the like.

The finished stencil card may be used in a thermographic imaging methodas shown in previously mentioned commonly assigned, copendingapplication Ser. No. 503,218.

Briefly, the stencil aperture card is placed upon a thermal transfercarbon sheet having a heat absorbing medium and a waxy heat fusiblelayer, with the waxy side away from the card. Then a sheet of regularstationary copy paper is placed in contact with the Waxy layer. Thiscopy composite is then irradiated from the stencil side with a source ofradiation rich in infra-red. The infrared rays pass through thetransparent stencil image areas and are reflected from the stencilbackground areas. The rays passing through the stencil image areas areabsorbed in the wax layer and heat it up, fusing it and transferring offthe layer to the copy paper thereby creating an image corresponding toimage areas of the stencil.

It is thus possible to take the aperture card of the invention and forman address or other informational stencil in a typewriter and at thesame time put other typed information on the card. The card can then becoded in a punch card machine as desired, or coded in any other knownway. Alternatively, the card can be punched before the stencil isformed.

It is thus simple to produce address stencils in any office with the aidof an ordinary typewriter. Such cards are easy to handle and to store,taking relatively little space. A large stack of filed cards may bemachined sorted then used in an addressing machine. Addition of newcards to the files for changes of address is greatly facilitated sincethe cards are so inexpensive and the old cards may be discarded and anew one prepared immediately in the typewriter. The cards are alwaysneat for reuse since they do not require ink as with ink stencils.

It will be apparent, moreover, that the coating may be arranged on thestencil so that the card may be typed with visible indicia and a rightreading stencil which is positioned right reading on top of an exposurecomposite to obtain a right reading image. It is possible also toreverse visible and stencil information so that the stencil is not rightreading when the visible indicia can be read if this should be desirablefor any purpose.

The inventive aperture card therefor has all the advantages of atabulating card and an addressing stencil without the disadvantages ofmetal addressing plates, since plates must be prepared with specialmachines and cannot be machine sorted, or of ink stencils requiringliquid ink.

While I have described some specific structures and preferredembodiments of my invention, this is only for the purpose ofillustration. It will be apparent that various changes and modificationsmay be made in the invention without departing from the spirit of thedisclosure and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A stencil aperture card adapted for conversion into a printingstencil for use in a radiation sensitive printing process, said cardcomprising a thin flexible card having an aperture therein;

a shoulder around the periphery of said aperture; and

a sheet of stencil material across said aperture and secured to saidshoulder;

said stencil material comprising a transparent plastic backing sheethaving a radiation reflective coating thereon which is selectivelyremovable to form a printing stencil and a transparent plastic sheet toprotect said reflective coating, said transparent plastic sheet beingremovable from said reflective coating to permit the latter to beselectively removed from said transparent plastic backing sheet andreplaceable over said reflective coating to thereafter protect thelatter.

2. A stencil aperture card adapted for conversion into a printingstencil for use in a radiation sensitive printing process, said cardcomprising:

a thin flexible card having an aperture therein;

a shoulder around the periphery of said aperture; and

a sheet of stencil material across said aperture and secured to saidshoulder;

said stencil material comprising a transparent plastic backing sheethaving an infra-red radiation reflective coating thereon and securedthereto by means permitting said coating to be removed therefrom inselected areas by the application of pressure between said coating and areceptor surface in said selected areas, and an infra-red radiationtransparent plastic sheet disposed over said reflective coating andsecured thereover by means permitting said plastic sheet to be removedfrom said reflective coating to permit the latter to be selectivelyremoved from said transparent plastic backing sheet, and to be replacedOver said reflective coating to thereafter protect the latter.

3. A stencil aperture card adapted for conversion into a printingstencil for use in a radiation sensitive printing process, said cardcomprising:

a thin flexible card having an aperture therein;

a shoulder around the periphery of said aperture; and

a sheet of stencil material across said aperture and secured to saidshoulder;

said stencil material comprising a transparent plastic backing sheethaving an infra-red radiation reflective coating thereon and securedthereto by means permitting said coating to be removed therefrom inselected areas by the application of pressure between said coating and areceptor surface in said selected areas, a receptor sheet disposed oversaid reflective coating and providing said receptor surface, saidreceptor sheet being removable from said reflective coating, and aninfra-red radiation transparent plastic sheet disposed over saidreceptor sheet and secured to said shoulder by means permitting saidplastic sheet to be removed from said shoulder in order to permit theremoval of said receptor sheet With selected areas of said reflectivecoating adhered thereto, and to be resecured to said shoulder tothereafter protect the remaining areas of said reflective coating.

4. A stencil aperture card as set forth in claim 3 wherein saidtransparent plastic backing sheet with said reflective coating thereonis secured to one face of said shoulder and said radiation transparentplastic sheet is secured to the other face of said shoulder, saidreceptor sheet being disposed between said reflective coating and saidradiation transparent plastic sheet.

5. A stencil aperture card as set forth in claim 3 wherein saidtransparent plastic backing sheet With said reflective coating thereonand said radiation transparent plastic sheet are secured to one face ofsaid shoulder, said receptor sheet being disposed between saidreflective coating and said transparent plastic sheet.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,179,081 4/1916 Denne 40-1351,498,895 6/ 1924 Theriault. 2,557,402 6/ 1951 Altheimer 40-1352,648,924 8/ 1953 Brewster. 2,984,921 5/1961 Herzig 40-158 EUGENE R.CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

W. J. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner.

